Philosophy

Philosophy is “a general term whose meaning and scope has varied considerable according to the usage of different authors and different ages.”

The tradition which first coined the term was the Ancient Greek word φιλοσοφία to Pythagoras, literally meaning “love of wisdom”.

“A specific sense of the word first meets us in Plato, who defines the philosopher as one who apprehends the essence of reality of things in opposition to the man who dwells in appearances and the shows of sense. The philosophers, he says, “those who are able to grasp the eternal and immutable”; they are “those who set their affection on that which in each case really exists.” “In sum, then, we may say that “philosophy” has come to be understood at least in modern times as a general term covering the various disciplines just enumerated.” Today, it has been divided into several traditions and sub-branches. These philosophies have helped influenced our thoughts on liberty and dignity which is why we have included them in our collection.

Below are some examples of Philosophy in our collection:

Date of Publication: 1763"In this, the greatest of the dialogues of Plato, Socrates, while seeking an answer to the question What is justice?Described an ideal of perfect society, the republic after which the book is named... The Republic is Plato's masterpiece and...

Date of Publication: 1713English philosopher and proponent of deism. His writings gather together the results of previous English Freethinkers.The imperturbable courtesy of his style is in striking contrast to the violence of his opponents; and, in spite of his...

Date of Publication: 1691Chinese name Kung Fu-tse, 551 - 479 BC. Chinese political and ethical philosopher and would-be reformer. Failing to achieve personal ambitions and success, Confucius taught a large number of disciples who carried on, developed, and greatly...

Date of Publication: 1629English philosopher, statesman, and essayist. Violently opposed to speculative philosophies and the syllogistic quibbling of the Schoolmen, Bacon argues that the only knowledge of importance to man was empirically rooted in the natural world...

Date of Publication: 1848German philosopher. “Kant’s attempt to define precisely the domain of rational understanding is a landmark in Western thought. On the one hand he opposed Hume’s skepticism, the idea that pure reason is of no real use in understanding the...